Gen Isayama
General Partner & CEO·World Innovation Lab
Bio
Professional summary
Gen Isayama is General Partner and CEO of World Innovation Lab. WiL’s official profile says he has extensive experience in venture capital, finance, and entrepreneurship and founded WiL to unlock entrepreneurship and creativity. He oversees WiL’s global investment strategy as well as business creation and corporate innovation. Before co-founding WiL, he was a Partner at DCM Ventures focused on online media, mobile, and consumer services, and earlier worked at the Industrial Bank of Japan across strategy, operations, corporate finance, and market risk management.
Investment focus
Stage, sector, and overall fit
Stage
Sector
Thesis
Notable companies
Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed
How to approach
Framing and angles for outreach
Pitch framing
Lead with a cross-border expansion or corporate-innovation angle: why the company can benefit from strategic relationships between startups, large enterprises, and the Japan/U.S. ecosystem. Gen appears especially relevant for founders seeking global growth, Japanese market entry, enterprise partnerships, or corporate innovation leverage.
Partneralization hooks
- 1Reference WiL’s mission as a bridge between startups and corporations across the U.S. and Japan.
- 2Connect the pitch to business creation or corporate innovation rather than only capital.
- 3Mention his DCM background in online media, mobile, and consumer services if relevant.
Recent signals
What the partner has said or done recently
WiL’s current profile states that Gen oversees global investment strategy, business creation, and corporate innovation practices.
Public event material identifies him as WiL General Partner & CEO and describes WiL as founded in 2013 after his DCM tenure.
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